START WITH STOPPING

Start with Stopping. Sound strange? The only way to stop drowning in paper is to stop it from surrounding you. The very first step to taking control of the paper that wants to rise up and take over your home is to capture the incoming paper and harness it. Put a basket in one area that tends to collect a paper pile. Inform everyone in your home to stop there and place all papers in this ONE container. Mail, school notices, coupons, all of the various kinds of paper that come in to your home need to gather here. Of course, you will eventually have to sort through your unharnessed papers and create homes for those that are worth escaping the recycle bin. In the meantime you must capture the new arrivals all in one spot. Don’t make your basket too big! You’ll need to make a “paper sorting appointment” with yourself on a regular basis to keep it from filling up and spilling over! Keep your planner by your side so you can mark important dates on your calendar before kissing the paper goodbye!